ACEO - Shapes 1

Today my Red-winged Blackbirds arrived from the south and it is nice to know I can expect all the various black birds to arrive shortly. Once the Grackles and Cowbirds show up spring cannot be too far behind them.

Today I came across five pieces of paper that I was going to make into a collection of abstract paintings.

First, I blocked in various rectangular shapes with a pencil.

Now it was time to start putting colour into the various shapes. I started on the left side and painted the long rectangle with pure alizarin crimson.

Next, I made an orange of cadmium red and cadmium yellow and painted the large shape on the top right corner.

While that section was drying I mixed aureolin with Antwerp blue and painted in the small shape on the lower right side.

Using pure cadmium yellow I filled in the shape between the red bar and the orange shape.

Next I mixed French ultramarine blue with alizarin crimson for a dark purple and painted in the last shape at the bottom of the painting.

Once the paint was dry, I washed a layer of cadmium red over the shape on the left side to darken it slightly.

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.